Dually operable roller skate

ABSTRACT

A dually operable roller skate includes a sole member having a pair of rear wheels transversely rotatably secured to a rear portion of the sole member, a steering base steerably secured on a front bottom portion of the sole member, a pair of front wheels transversely rotatably secured on the steering base, and a looking device adjustably or detachably mounted on the steering base and releasably locking the steering base to the sole member to shift a steerable skating to a straightforward non-steerable skating.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,290 issued to the same inventor of this application disclosed a steerable roller skate, which may be steerably skated by the player either rightwardly or leftwardly. Whenever lifting his or her foot, the magnetic attraction between the two magnets 4 a, 4 b will automatically restore the steering base 25 to allow the front axis 31 of the front wheels 3 to be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 10 of the sole member 1 for resetting a straightforward direction.

However, such a magnetic attraction is a temporary attraction to keep the front axis 31 to be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 10 of the sole member to keep a straightforward orientation temporarily.

If it is intended to make such a steerable roller skate to be a conventional roller skate which is not steerable, a locking means or mechanism should be further provided.

The present inventor has found this situation, and invented a roller skate which can be dually operable including a steerable skating, and a non-steerable skating, of which the latter allows a front axis of the front wheels to be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sole member for a stable straightforward skating.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a dually operable roller skate including a sole member having a pair of rear wheels transversely rotatably secured to a rear portion of the sole member, a steering base steerably secured on a front bottom portion of the sole member, a pair of front wheels transversely rotatably secured on the steering base, and a looking device adjustably mounted on the steering base and releasably locking the steering base to the sole member to shift a steerable skating to a straightforward non-steerable skating.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a bottom-view illustration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional drawing of the present invention when viewed from Line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an illustration showing the locking of the steering base on the sole member of the present invention for a non-steerable skating.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of the present invention when unlocked from FIG. 3 for steerable skating.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

As shown in the drawing figures, the present invention comprises:

-   -   a sole member 1 having a pair of rear wheels 5 transversely         rotatably secured to a rear bottom portion of the sole member 1,         a steering base 2 steerably secured on a front bottom portion of         the sole member 1 by a bolt 21 vertically secured to the sole         member 1 about a vertical axis 20 which is projectively         perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 10 of the sole member 1,         a pair of front wheels 3 transversely rotatably secured on the         steering base 2, and a locking means 4 adjustably mounted on the         steering base 2 for releasably locking the steering base 2 to         the sole member 1 to shift a steerable skating to a         straightforward non-steerable skating.

The front wheels 3 are rotatably secured to the steering base 2 by a front axle 31 along a transverse axle axis 30 which is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis 10 defined at a longitudinal center of the sole member 1 when the front wheels 3 and steering base 2 are not steerable, adapted for a straightforward skating. The steering base 2 is steerably rotated about the vertical axis 20 of the bolt 21.

The locking means 4 may include: a screw, a bolt, a latch, a nail, a pin, or a locking member, which may lock the steering base 2 to the bottom portion 12 of the sole member 1 for locking the steering base 2 for a straightforward skating; or may unlock the steering base 2 for a rightward or leftward steerable skating. A clamp or fastener may be provided on the steering base 2 for fastening the locking means 4 on the steering base, when the steering base 2 is not locked to the sole member 1.

The locking means 4 may include a preferred embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to be a U-shaped locking member, which may be locked into the sole member 1 (FIGS. 2, 3) or unlocked from the sole member 1 (FIG. 4).

The locking means 4 includes: a pair of pins 43 protruding upwardly (or outwardly) from a handle portion 41 to form a U-shaped locking member, each pin 41 insertable into a pin hole 13 recessed in the bottom portion 12 of the sole member 1 for locking the steering base 1 on the sole member 1, or for unlocking the steering base 1 from the sole member 1.

Each pin 42 is slidably secured on a sleeve 44 fixed on the steering base 2, preferably on a side wall of the base 2, having an adjusting bolt 43 rotatably held on the sleeve 44 for selectively locking the bolt 43 in a first recess 421 formed on a lower portion of the pin 42 for locking the pin 42 into the pin hole 13 of the sole member (FIG. 3), or selectively locking the bolt 43 in a second recess 422 formed on an upper portion of the pin 42, thereby unlocking the pin 42 from the pin hole 13 of the sole member 1 (FIG. 4).

The two pin holes 13 are projectively linked to be a linking line 40 projectively perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 10 of the sole member 1 and projectively parallel to the axle axis 30 of the two front wheels 3 when not steerable as shown in FIG. 1.

A handle stopper 45 is formed on the steering base 2 for limiting a downward or outward movement of the handle portion 41 of the locking means 4 (FIG. 4) when unlocking the pin 42 from the pin hole 13 of the sole member 1.

The locking means 4 as shown in the drawing figures may be modified or simplified to be a single pin member as removably held on the base 1, and adjustably lockable in the sole member 1 or unlockable from the sole member 1.

The present invention may be dually operable by either locking the steering base 2 on the sole member 1 for a non-steerable skating; or unlocking the steering base 2 from the sole member 1 for a steerable skating for an interesting playing selection for the user or skater.

The steering base 2 may also be installed with a magnet thereon to be magnetically attracted to another magnet with opposite polarity secured on the bottom portion of the sole member 1 as disclosed in the inventor's prior patent, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,290.

The present invention may be further modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 

I claim:
 1. A roller skate comprising: a sole member having a pair of rear wheels transversely rotatably secured to a rear bottom portion of the sole member, a steering base steerably secured on a front bottom portion of the sole member by a bolt vertically secured to the sole member about a vertical axis which is projectively perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the sole member, a pair of front wheels transversely rotatably secured on the steering base, and a locking means releasably mounted on the steering base for locking the steering base to the sole member to shift a steerable skating to a non-steerable skating.
 2. A roller skate according to claim 1, wherein said locking means includes: a screw, a bolt, a latch, a nail, a pin, or a locking member, for locking the steering base to a bottom portion of the sole member, or for unlocking the steering base from the sole member.
 3. A roller skate according to claim 1, wherein said locking means includes: a pair of pins protruding upwardly from a handle portion to form a U-shaped locking member, each said pin insertable into a pin hole recessed in a bottom portion of the sole member for locking the steering base on the sole member, or for unlocking the steering base from the sole member.
 4. A roller skate according to claim 3, wherein each said pin is slidably secured on a sleeve fixed on the steering base, having an adjusting bolt rotatably held on the sleeve for selectively locking the bolt in a first recess formed on a lower portion of the pin for locking the pin into the pin hole of the sole member, or selectively locking the bolt in a second recess formed on an upper portion of the pin for unlocking the pin from the pin hole of the sole member
 1. 5. A roller skate according to claim 4, wherein two said pin holes are projectively linked to be a linking line projectively parallel to an axle axis of the two front wheels when said axle axis is projectively perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the sole member.
 6. A roller skate according to claim 3, wherein said locking means includes a handle stopper formed on the steering base for limiting an outward movement of the handle portion of the locking means, when unlocking the pin from the sole member. 